Signal



. W. A. KAY.

SIGNAL.

f Patented Apr. 15, 1890.

i 'M Maza THE :mums PETEH nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VVILLIAM A. KAY, OF IIONEA PATH, SOUTH OAROLINA.

SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 425,613, dated April15, 1890.

Application filed December 10, 1889. Serial No. 833,216. (No model.)

such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains tomake and use the same.

My invention relates to an im provement in signals for railroad-bridges;and it consists in certain novel features hereinafter described andclaim ed. o

In the accomp'anying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of a bridgeprovided with my improved signal. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the same.Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail section of the signal and thesignal-casing, and Fig. 4 is a detailed perspective view of one of thepulleys.

The bridge A may be of any desired construction and forms a part of therailroad, as will be readily understood. Along the sides of the railroadand extending a suitable distance from each end of the bridge, I erect aseries of posts B, to the upper ends ofl which I secure the eyes orrings O, through which a wire D passes. At the upper ends of the endposts Z, I secure the pulleys E, over which the wire passes and fromwhich the ends of the wire depend. To the ends of the Wire, I secure thesignals F, which may be of any suitable design, but are preferablycomposed of the strips G, Secured together at anangle to each other andof a proper size to attract attention when displayed. These signals arenormally inclosed by the casing H, which is supported on the upper endof a suitable` bench or post I, as clearly shown. The central portion ofthe wire D passes through rings or eyes J on the bridge, and heavyweights K are hung in the said eyes. The pulleys E, over which the wireD passes, are hung in the blocks L, and springs M are secured to thesaid blocks and fit in the grooves of the pulleys, so as to bear on theWire and hold the same within the said grooves, and thus preventbackward movement of the wire.

In practice the several parts of the device are arranged as shown in thedrawings and above described. Should the bridge be burned orwashed away,the wire will be drawn upon, so as to raise and display the signal, andthereby Warn the engineers of approaching trains of the accident. W'henthe bridge is washed away, it will itself carry the wires out of theirnormal position, so as to raise the signals, and when the bridge isburned the rings J, being of metal, will separate from the wood and theweights K VconseoLuently remain unsupported except by the said rings,and as the only support that these rings have is the wire, the weightsWill at once draw upon the wire, so as to raise the signals. Thesprings-L are arranged so that the wire may slip readily thereunder Whenraising the signal, but any backward movement of the Wire after thesignal is raised will be prevented, so that the signals will be held intheir ele- Vated positions.

My improved signal is very simple in its construction and can bemanufactured at a slight cost. It is entirely automatic in its Operationand provides an effectual safeguard against the running of trains tosuch a point that they cannot be stopped before they reach the end ofthe road.

Having thus described my invention, what II claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

The improved signal herein described and shown, consisting of a seriesof posts arranged at opposite ends of a bridge, oasngs near the endposts of said series, rings on the bridge, the wire or cable passingthrough said rings and over pulleys on the posts, the displaysignalsattached to the ends of the cable or wire, and weights hung in the ringson the bridge, whereby the signals are normally lowered and reoeivedwithin the casings and will be automatically raised and displayed if thebridge be destroyed, as specified.

In testimony whereof I afiix my Signature in pr'esence of two witnesses.

VVM. A. KAY.

Witnesses:

T. R. FINLEY, T. J. CLATWORTHY.

